As the pandemic altered her high school education, Abigail Mendoza became less focused on learning — she just wanted to get the grade and move past the difficult time. She realized that mindset wouldn’t help her when she came to the University of Pittsburgh last fall.
At Pitt, she failed her first microbiology exam. Feeling defeated, she approached her professor after class and asked for help. The pandemic likely prevented her from improving her study habits, she said, but that made her more willing to go to office hours and meet her instructors.
